


Impossibility, Improbability, Actuality

by Aarlauna_Rose



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Sherlock (TV), Torchwood
Genre: F/M, M/M, Tenth Doctor Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-11
Updated: 2013-04-18
Packaged: 2017-11-18 10:24:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/559979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aarlauna_Rose/pseuds/Aarlauna_Rose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock and Watson hunt a murderer; meanwhile, Rose and the Doctor look for a sock thief. Set in Season Two of Doctor Who, just after "The Hounds of Baskerville" in Sherlock.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sherlock, Doctor Who or Torchwood. Let Moffat deal with the mountain of hate mail.

"Well, that was exciting!"

‘Exciting’ was not the first word that came to mind as Rose stepped into the TARDIS, trying her best not to gag. A thick, slimy substance dripped from her onto the floor, making random exposed wires spark. She hesitantly reached for one of the globs (precariously close to falling on top of what she thought might be a vital part of the machine) and grimaced as it coated her hand. The Doctor breezed right past her, having escaped with only his legs soaked. He always seemed to have more than his share of luck- or perhaps she just had a lot less. That really wasn't fair- he could have at least warned her about the Gheyzeran ‘festival’!

"Oh, please tell me this doesn't stain. Or that the smell... lingers..." she groaned.

The Doctor laughed as he began pulling levers at the console. "Oh, no. A bit of water and you'll be fine,” he assured her. “Gheyzeran slime is very easy to remove. Foreigners kept complaining."

"Can't imagine why." she muttered dryly, wiping her hair out of her eyes. It was then that Rose realized that the stuff was in her hair. That made up her mind. Come war, end-of-the-universe crisis or turbulence, she was getting this slop off. She passed him to change, pausing only when the Doctor made no effort to move. "You're not gonna stay like that, are you?"

He glanced at his suit. "Oh, right. You know, it is traditional to keep-"

"Oh, no. I'm not traveling with a time lord that reeks of Gheyzeran slime. You're showering too." Somehow, she was certain that if his hair had been slimed, they’d both be racing to wash off. Rose grabbed his sleeve and began to drag him down the hall. He sounded like a child, with all the excuses pouring out of his mouth. Rose just laughed and shook her head. “A bit of water won’t kill you, ya know.” 

She felt him stop. He crossed his arms and looked altogether too smug. “And you don’t know where my room is.” He said triumphantly.

Rose put a finger to her lips, pretending to be deep in thought. “Oh, well I suppose that is a problem.” She mused slowly. 

“Can’t argue with that.” 

“Although,” She raised her voice as he turned away. “There is always my room...The shower’s big enough for two, I reckon.” 

It was incredibly difficult not to giggle when he froze. Rose was beginning to wonder if she had taken the joke too far when the Doctor cleared his throat and walked past her too quickly for her to catch the look on his face. “Funny, a shower sounds much more appealing right now. Alone, I mean.” He added quickly. “Definitely... alone. Ah, meet you here in twenty?” 

 

 

 

John sighed in defeat and dropped the newspaper on the coffee table. Three hours. Three hours and Sherlock was still staring at the computer screen, doing nothing. Any attempts to ask him what he was doing so far had been met with his usual dismissal. The air was heavy and silent, the only movement the gleam in Sherlock's eyes when he occasionally looked elsewhere on the screen.

John had contemplated leaving, but he doubted that Sherlock would move even then. The thought of Sherlock being home alone, stuck in the same position was somehow even more disturbing than the current situation. He already talked to him when John left the flat, but sitting staring at nothing for hours? A bit creepy. "Okay, I'll bite. Why are you staring at nothing?"

Sherlock blinked, then glanced at John, looking completely unfazed. "I'm not staring at nothing- I'm waiting. Honestly, just because I don't have a case doesn't mean I have time to sit around and be useless."

"Yes, well, you did have a case-"

Sherlock closed the laptop and leaned back. "Not this again." 

"It was right up your alley! Missing animal-"

"A terrier, broke off it's leash-"

"Robbery with nothing taken-"

"The cane, John. Weren't you paying attention at all?"

"And a threatening note!"

"Meant for the upstairs neighbor, she had nothing to do with it." Sherlock sighed. “Look, it’s simple. Mrs. Daniels left the back door open when she went to collect her milk this morning. The man across the street has a cat he’s been hiding in his flat for weeks. The terrier saw the cat and rushed out, dragging the cane with him. He’ll wander back home in a few hours and will be unhappily reunited with his overbearing owner. See? Happy ending.” 

The doctor gave the man on the couch his best glare. "I'm so glad you took the time to think of all that, really. I'm thrilled. Too bad the client will never know."

"Kid's stuff, John! Anyone with the brain power of a lab rat could have put all that together. I don't do boring."

John opened his mouth to protest. Honestly, if he didn't pay his half of the rent-

"Anybody there?"

He didn't answer, just looked at Sherlock expectantly. Wasn’t he at least a little concerned about the note? Mrs. Hudson knocked again, louder. Leaning back, the detective gave him a pointed look, then glanced at the door. “Getting that?” 

A few more seconds passed. “I know you’re in there, boys! I’m not deaf just yet!” 

"This isn't over." John said, getting up. He opened the door to a slightly frazzled older lady, holding a covered plate. "Yes, Mrs. Hudson?" he asked lightly.

She smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt, dear, but I heard that things have been... slow-"

"Appallingly so." Sherlock muttered.

"-so I brought you this. Made them myself, this morning. Everybody needs a bit of comfort food now and again. You're not allergic to peanuts, are you?"

Biscuits? Since when had Mrs. Hudson brought them biscuits? "No. No, no. That's perfectly fine. Thank you."

Mrs. Hudson smiled, handing him the plate. "Lovely. Here you are, just a dozen. Be sure to return that plate, I know how Sherlock gets with his science projects-"

"Experiments!"

"Yes, dear. Whatever you say." Mrs. Hudson retreated, giving the army doctor a sympathetic glance.

John retreated quickly, unwrapping the plate to reveal several mouth-watering chocolate biscuits. He was about to put them away when Sherlock spoke up. "You can just toss those in the bin."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't eat store-bought, they taste terrible." He looked up when John didn’t reply. “Unless you want them.I wouldn’t recommend it.” 

It took a moment for that to process. John was fairly certain Sherlock hadn't even glanced in his direction since he got up."But- Mrs. Hudson baked these. You should at least try them."

Sherlock gave John one of those are-you-really-that-thick looks. "Verkade biscuits, 2£ at Sainsburys. She's been pulling that one for years."

His jaw dropped. "Wha- No. She wouldn't." But he looked from Sherlock the plate, sighed and tossed them. They did look very uniform, and when was Sherlock ever wrong? "That's it. You need a hobby."

"I have several."

"No, I don't mean fingernails in the freezer or replacing the regular eggs with genetically-modified pheasant eggs-"

"It was for a good cause. Will you stop with that?"

John decided not to mention that Sherlock never did anything for a ‘good cause’ unless it was interesting. ‘Interesting’, naturally, meant very different things to both of them. "You need something else. Fishing. Cricket. Sudoku, something that doesn't make me terrified to look in the fridge." He leaned forward, head in his hands. "And no, you're not using this to get back into smoking- Sherlock, are you listening to me?"

An eager grin was on Sherlock's face. He jumped up from the couch, making a beeline for the door. "Oh, I'm listening. That's Lestrade's car."

John went to check, but Sherlock had already thrown on his coat, gone through the door and down the stairs. John reached the window just in time to see the two detectives, one significantly more subdued than the other, talking out on the street. This was just as well, he figured, letting out a sigh. At least it would get Sherlock out of the flat.

 

 

 

Rose glanced at her watch when nearly twenty minutes later, the Doctor finally entered the console room. "Really?” Rose said as she joined him on the platform. “All those jokes about girls taking forever to dress and you can't decide what to wear? And here I thought your style was pretty predictable."

"Oy! S’not easy finding clothes that suit me in a wardrobe the size of Buckingham Palace." He pouted, sweeping past her. After a few steps he paused, bouncing on his feet a little. "Huh."

She glanced around the floor. "What is it?"

"Something's... off." He bounced in place a few times, then wiggled his left foot. The Doctor suddenly leaned over and pulled his pant leg up, exposing a lime green sock peeking above his trainers. "This sock is wrong." he said decisively.

His companion leaned forward, eyebrows raised. "They look fine. Well, other than the color. Who taught you how to match?"

"Hey! I’ll have you know it’s the very height in fashion in the Darcinian Complex. Used to be a law, you know." he defended, pulling off his shoe. The sock came next, and he brought it close to his face, brows furrowed in concentration. “Match your sicks, get thrown in prison. ‘Course, they’ll let you out in a fortnight, s’long as you promise never to do it again.” After a moment his eyes widened. "That's it! This is a right sock!" he declared. "That is strange. I usually don't mix them up."

Rose's jaw went slack. The Doctor was strange, to say the least, but left and right socks? "No way. Why in the world would you pay attention to which is a left and right sock? There can’t be a difference."

The Doctor scoffed. "Of course there is. You just don't pay attention. One moment."

She waited a lot longer than that. Occasionally a bump or a bang came from the direction of his room, but he didn't re-emerge. With a sigh Rose walked down the hall. Hadn’t he gone this way...? The sounds led her not to his room, but to the wardrobe. She suspected the TARDIS may have had something to do with it. She knocked loudly. "Doctor? All right?" Rose almost fell into him, he opened the door so fast. He was flustered, moving past her quickly he was a blur.

When she caught up to him, he racing around the console, poking at buttons and pulling at levers. "Gone. All of them!" 

“What’s wrong? What’s gone?” 

“The socks! All the left ones, vanished!” he muttered, running his hands through his hair. "That's so... so... weird!"

"That's weird? We just got slimed by giant green blobs and that's weird?" Rose frowned. “Wait, what about the ones in my room?” 

“No point in looking,” he said as she turned to leave. “They’re gone as well. I had the TARDIS transport all the socks to my room so I could count them.”

There wasn’t an easy response to that. The first one that came out was, “You telling me the TARDIS catalogued all the socks in under a minute?”

“Yep.” he replied without looking up, as if it were the most normal thing ever.

She stared at him, dumbfounded. “So, you had the TARDIS steal the rest of my socks?” 

He ignored her, turning to press buttons and turn knobs as quick as he could. “Doctor?”

"The TARDIS hasn’t picked up anything.” He said to himself. Was she suddenly invisible, or what? No recordings, no new readings, no SRW’s... What could possibly-" He squinted at one of the many screens. "Oh. Oh! That is brilliant! I got you!" Rose walked up to him, trying and failing to make sense of the tiny alien writing sprinting across the screen. Sometimes she swore the TARDIS didn't translate for her just to let the Doctor show off. 

“What is it?” She pressed when no answer seemed forthcoming.

"Just the tiniest energy signature, Rose. Tiny, but there! Like a speck of dust in a sandstorm!”

“Can you track it?” 

“I don’t know. Can a Craxian detonate a kilo of Oriphrine at twenty meters?” Before she could ask what any of that meant, he reached for a lever. “Let's see what we missed, eh?" And without warning, they were off again.

The second the TARDIS stopped, Rose was at the door, eager to see what had the Doctor so worked up. She stopped dead in her tracks just outside. That skyline looked awfully familiar... 

"Cardiff?" Rose glanced around, and seeing nothing extraordinary (as usual), she turned questioningly to the Doctor. He was locking the TARDIS door.

"Do you know anywhere else with a Rift?"

She stared at him blankly. "The Rift? How do you mean?"

He turned around, and he got that look on his face, the one that was so full of excitement that she expected him to run around in circles or something. "Oh, you remember! Crack in time and space, perfect for charging up-"

"No,” she interrupted. “I know what the Rift is. But why are we here?"

He glanced around, hands in his coat. "I have no idea." he announced, seeming a bit too pleased about it. Rose shot him a look. He ignored her and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "But finding out is half the fun, isn’t it?"

She just rolled her eyes and took a moment to look around. The doctor was switching frequencies on the screwdriver. A gust of wind hit her then, reaching icy fingers into the seams of her clothes. "A bit nippy, isn't it?" She rubbed her arms, but it didn't help. "Let me grab a coat. Try not to get in trouble, yeah?"

She had only just retrieved a sweater from her room when she heard the TARDIS door slam. Rose ran out- first left, second right, under the stairs and down the hall- and skidded to a stop. The Doctor was at the console again, running back and forth. "Brilliant!" he cawed, stopping to tug at a particularly stubborn lever. "Up for a ride, Rose Tyler?"

There wasn't a chance to reply before she was jerked to the left. She grabbed for the wall, missed and fell on her side. She had never felt this much turbulence before. The Doctor was still running about, pleased as punch. Of course he wouldn’t lose his balance. But Rose had a sinking feeling that something wasn't right. Hoping it was just nausea from the fall, she pulled herself to her feet when the TARDIS landed.

By the time she'd caught her breath, he was out the door. With a sigh, she zipped up her sweater and followed him out. She’d have to take vitamins to keep up with him at this rate- or invest in one of those leashes designed for children. Either way.

"Doctor?" She found him frozen a few yards ahead. "Doctor, what's wrong?" She didn't need him to answer. Half a dozen cars pulled up the street, news logos plastered on the sides. It didn’t take long for a crowd to gather, as well. None of them had noticed the big blue box so far, but the TARDIS had a way of being sneaky, sometimes.

When he didn't react to her question, she walked past him and shoved her way through the crowd to see what had captured the Doctor’s attention. They were in front of a one-story house, almost picture perfect. It was painted a light yellow, well-maintained lawn, nice car in the driveway. The whole effect was ruined, however, by the tape pulled over the lawn and the cars with flashing sirens on the street. She could hear the reporters now, each clamoring to be heard over the other. It was only when she saw the ambulance pulled up that she realized what she was seeing. Well, this was cheery. 

Rose took a few minutes to watch the scene- police swarming around the house, the reporters clamoring and taking countless photographs, the crowd pressing forward for a good look. Standing back wasn’t doing anything for her curiosity, so she looked around for someone who might have more information.

"Hey, what's going on?" she asked the man next to her. He jumped, as if he hadn't noticed her there. "What's happened?" she pressed.

"Oh, it's a murder," he said, grinning like it was a novelty, not someone's family cold and dead. "Second one in a week. Heard they called in a specialist this time. Not sure why,” he shrugged. “Usually they don't bother with that until the fourth stiff turns up."

Rose frowned. This was something new- and traveling with the Doctor, that was saying something. They’d been to countless planets, seen amazing and horrible things, but usually nothing like this. Before she could ask the man anything else, though, the crowd was pushed back to allow a black cab to pull up to the curb. Being very unnoticeable (as she was beginning to realize) she was pushed back, but not before she saw a man in a long coat emerge from the car, collar turned up as if to hide his face. Then she tripped. She fell backwards, right into the Doctor, who helped her regain her footing.

"Thanks. Don't get a lot of crime scenes, do we?" Rose tried to smile, but the grim look on the Doctor's face stopped her. What was upsetting him? "Maybe we should just-"

"No, there won't be any questions answered.” All of the reporters had given their attention to a gray-haired man on the sidewalk. “Please, just go home and let us do our job."

"Detective Inspector, is it true that this victim is high-profile?"

"Why have the police called in a detective for a murder?"

The man held up his hands for silence as the voices grew in volume. Rose had to lean forward on her toes to see him with everyone crowding in. "There will be a press conference in the near future," he promised. "We are doing everything we can to solve this case. Please, go home."

Rose was so intent on watching him that it took her a second to notice the Doctor had gently grasped her arm. "We should get away from here." he said quietly, eyes still on the house.

Rose nodded, though she was tempted to pout. They were just finding out what was going on! Hadn’t the trail led them here? It wasn’t until they'd left the crowd far behind that she turned on him, mildly annoyed. "What was that?" she demanded. "We were just about to figure out what was goin' on-"

To her surprise, he twirled, facing her. "Not everything has to do with us," he snapped. "Sometimes, there are coincidences.” For a second, she thought he might say something else, but he only backed away. “Just leave it, Rose."

Just as abruptly, he started walking in the other direction, away from the TARDIS. Rose could only gape. Her feeling hadn't been wrong, then- something was up. Staring after him wasn’t going to tell her anything, though. Rose had to jog to catch up to him. The Doctor seemed determined to leave the crime scene far behind. Her mind burned with questions, but for some reason, she had this gut feeling she shouldn't bring it up. It was a long, silent walk.

 

 

 

The second they stepped out of the cab, it began. With the usual (and now expected) eye roll, Sherlock pulled up the collar of his coat and followed a thin-lipped Donovan into the house. Already John could see his eyes moving, lightning fast, taking in every detail and then some, pure logic telling him which to notice and which to ignore or file away. Sherlock was mostly ignored by the police force, probably because they had no desire to be at the receiving end of one of his deductions. John didn't blame them- the last girl to get cornered by Sherlock's ceaseless need to show off had run away in tears. To be fair, she should have known never to contradict the detective.

They were led through the living room into a bright kitchen, which currently held four bodies- one dead, three living. Lestrade entered through the back door, looking more harried than usual. He ordered the others to clear out, and they were given as much space and quiet as could be expected.

The victim lay face-down on the floor, in a position eerily similar to that of Jennifer Wilson, their first case together. Sherlock was already moving around the kitchen, pausing only long enough to take a pair of disposable gloves from the Detective Inspector. The men were silent, as always, while Sherlock looked in the trashcan, studied the wall, opened the fridge twice and wandered into the living room. He returned and knelt beside the man, looking at his hands, then stood, mouth open to report.

"Detective Inspector!" Someone called. A woman with very bright blue eyes peeked around the corner, avoiding eye contact with Sherlock. "The phone's been ringing for you. I told them you were busy-"

Lestrade sighed. "Give us a minute." he grumbled, leaving Sherlock with his mouth open and arm raised, ready to point. John would have laughed if he wouldn’t have to live with the man afterwards.

He gave in when Sherlock began to pace. "All right, what is it, then?" 

“What?” 

"You can give it all to Lestrade later."

"And repeat it?"

"Like that will be a problem." John scoffed.

Sherlock gave him a small grin. "Well, since you're so curious," he said indulgently. "The victim is roughly twenty-five years old, current or former military. Married- a strained marriage, no children. He's currently on leave or had been discharged. His wife works, probably commutes. Too bad for her; he's been cheating on her for months. Probably wouldn’t save the marriage, even if he dropped his lover.”

“And why do you say that?” 

“Because it’s a man’s coat hanging in the living room.” 

"So glad you know all that at a glance, really. It's amazing." Donovan said from the doorway. "How about something that's actually relevant to the fact that he's dead?"

She didn't flinch under Sherlock's glare, only met the expression with an almost childish insolence. "It's all relevant, Sergeant Donovan. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's unimportant. John, the body."

Watson obediently knelt beside the man, examining him with careful hands. After a few moments, he frowned. It wasn't a stroke, cardiac arrest or asphyxiation. There didn’t seem to be any wounds or even bruising. John had nearly given up when he saw it- a row of tiny pinpricks, almost unnoticeable, between his thumb and finger.

"Sherlock..." The syllables were barely out of his mouth before the detective joined him, eyes burning into the wound, memorizing it. "Do you know what it is?"

"No idea."

"Tell me you have something." Lestrade said wearily. John hadn't even heard him come in.

Sherlock got to his feet, and he must have felt a bit nostalgic as well. "Not much," he said with a cheeky smile, echoing his words from Jennifer Wilson’s case. "Nothing relevant to the investigation, at least- besides the witness." He didn't wait for the question to continue. "Of course, you can't see it. Typical. Let me point it out to you: Military man, family-oriented, married young to a pregnant wife one year ago. The wedding photo isn't old, but it hasn't been dusted. None of the pictures have, and no new pictures for about six months. Something happened, based on the lack of new photos, probably a miscarriage. He's a vegetarian- soy milk in the fridge, vegetables and fruits stocked, no meat. He's also gone through enough coffee to put ten grown men into cardiac arrest in the last week. His nails are brittle- probably iron deficiency, which means he's a devout vegetarian. Why, then, would he be cooking meat?" Sherlock gestured at the stove, where raw hamburger patties had been placed in a pan. "A morally driven vegetarian wouldn't cook meat for just anyone- someone was here, someone important. Not family- this house hasn't seen any visitors, based on the disrepair, and the wine he took out is expensive- he wanted to show off. So, he's cheating on his wife. His lover was here when he was attacked, and left after the murder, leaving his coat behind."

“And you know that coat isn’t his how?” 

“Look at his clothes, do you honestly think he’d wear something that dirty?” 

Lestrade rubbed his temples. "So...?" he pressed. 

"So," Sherlock said slowly, eyes darting towards the living room, "If you're lucky, he left his wallet behind. But that's not the intriguing part." They all watched as he removed the victim's right slipper. There was a dark red sock underneath, a stark contrast to the pale, exposed foot beside it. "Our murderer took a trophy. What man leaves off a sock on purpose?”

"A sock?" John said incredulously. “That was his trophy?”

"You should know, John, a military man like this wouldn't leave a sock off on purpose. What other explanation is there?" Sherlock stripped off his gloves. "Where's the first crime scene? I need to see it."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Sherlock are investigating a strange lead. Rose thinks the Doctor should be her sidekick.

John rolled his eyes as Sherlock joined him outside, slamming the door to the first victim’s house. “That was a complete waste of time.”

“Well, you were the one who allowed Lestrade to pull you all across London.” He pointed out as Sherlock once again exercised his preternatural ability to summon a cab.

“Well, he could have mentioned those idiots he calls 'forensic experts' ruined the whole crime scene before he bothered taking me there.”

John didn’t bother to reply. They were still eight streets or so from the flat when Sherlock suddenly ordered the taxi to stop, barely waiting for the driver to hit the brakes before he was out of the vehicle. After John paid the very confused man behind the wheel, he knew he’d have to do some searching to find Sherlock. He'd been examining the ground next to a police box. John barely spared a glance for it when, without any word of explanation, Sherlock stood, taking one last look before announcing they'd have to walk home, despite John’s protests.

“So what now?” John asked after a few minutes.

“We wait for another victim.” Sherlock replied curtly. He continued before John had a chance to object. “We need more evidence. What we have is useless. There's nothing to connect the crime scenes besides the puncture wounds.” He paused. John waited expectantly. Sherlock shook his head ruefully. “No, nothing else.”

There was the sound of laughter ahead. John spared a glance for the pair, walking arm-in-arm. The girl was smiling, trying to get her friend to laugh, based on the half-smile, half frown on his face. There was something about him that reminded John of Sherlock. It was more than the obvious, long coat, that almost purposeful mysterious persona, or the attempt to absolutely not enjoy himself. It was more the lonely look about him, the set of his shoulders, the unconscious swagger. John glanced at Sherlock, but he seemed too lost in his thoughts to pay them any attention.

As they passed each other, the girl bumped into Sherlock. “Oh, sorry.” She smiled apologetically. He didn't even pause or acknowledge her. John gave her an awkward smile that mirrored hers. He took a moment to admire the view as she shrugged and caught up to her companion, who had stopped to wait for her.

Apparently, his own colleague hadn’t noticed any of the exchange. “There has got to be something I'm missing.” Sherlock mumbled.

 

 

“There has got to be some reason she brought us here.” The Doctor muttered as Rose finally caught up with him.

It took Rose a second to realize that ‘she’ meant the TARDIS. She gave his shoulder a reassuring tap. “We'll figure it out. We always do.” She put a finger to her lips, trying to puzzle it out. “You said this is where whatever got into the TARDIS went, right? Can't you follow the same trail to find it?”

He shook his head. “No, it's too faint. We’re out of range for the TARDIS, anyway. I guess we'll have to do some old-fashioned detective work.”

She grinned. “What, like Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson?” 

“I am a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work.” He admitted.

“So, what would Sherlock Holmes do, then?”

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. “The devil’s in the detail.”

Well, that wasn't enigmatic at all. Rose was hesitant to bring it up, but she had a feeling that the crime scene had something to do with his current mood. Based on his earlier reaction, it probably wasn't wise to mention it just yet, so she decided to try and cheer him up.

“Does that make you Watson?”

The Doctor looked horrified. “What? Why am I the side-kick?”

“You're the Doctor!”

“Yeah, but not that kind,” He sniffed disdainfully. “I'm always the center of attention. The whole universe revolves around me, remember? I am definitely Sherlock Holmes.”

His words reminded her of another man, one who wore leather and had wrinkles around his eyes that deepened when he laughed, which had never been enough. Rose felt her smile slipping, and pushed those thoughts away, chastising herself. He was right here, her Doctor. “So does that make me the Doctor?” She teased.

“I guess it does.” The Doctor laughed.

Rose stretched her arms above her head. “Well, no natural disasters, mysterious disappearances or cataclysmic events...” She held her hands before her as she ticked off all the avenues they’d already scoured. “The newspapers don't mention anything strange. I guess we'll just have to wait for another clue.”

The Doctor finally smiled- a real smile. “I can think of worse places to spend a day or two.” Rose linked arms with him.

“Could be worse. Could be Cardiff.” At least here there weren't any black holes, green blobs or conniving former-humans to contend with here.

 

 

“Why do you want to see her? She has nothing to do with the investigation.”

Sherlock glared at Lestrade. “She has everything to do with it. She was attacked by the same person. I'm sure of it. If I could just speak to her-”

The Detective Inspector sighed. “How's this then- Why should I subject a child recovering from Leukemia to your charming personality?”

“Because two people are dead and by next week it could be four if the trend continues.”

“Oh, don't go on like you actually care!” Lestrade scoffed, leaning back in his chair. “We all know better.”

A few tense moments passed with Sherlock staring at him intently, as if he might change his mind. When it was obvious that wasn't going to happen, he huffed indignantly. “Worth a try.”

John sighed from his post by the door. This was getting them nowhere. Sherlock had been so engrossed in this case he'd even neglected to share his insights with him. All John knew for certain was that this eight year old girl reported being attacked by an animal- the next day, her cancer was simply gone. How Sherlock had heard of the incident, let alone enough to convince him it was related, was anyone's guess.

“Look, it can't hurt, can it?” John asked.

“You should know better than anyone what he's like! How you live with him is anyone's guess.”

“The therapy helps.” John replied, ignoring the look Sherlock gave him.

The DI leaned forward, making the wheels of his chair snap sharply on the linoleum. “Fine. All right, all right. Donovan will give you the details.” The I-got-my-way-again smirk that crossed Sherlock’s lips was only typical, and once again John gave Lestrade an apologetic glance as they turned to leave the room. “So help me, if I hear you’ve given her a heart attack I’m banning you from every public building in a five-mile radius!” He called after them. 

“Bit of an overreaction,” Sherlock muttered irritably. 

John shrugged. “Bit, yeah.” He paused. “A lifetime ban seems more realistic.” 

His flatmate simply scoffed and walked ahead, completely ignoring Donovan. John took the paper from her, ignored her usual insult, and prayed that Sherlock didn’t get into the taxi without him this time.

 

 

“Did you see?” 

“Nah, it can’t be! I heard he has a bigger nose.” 

“Don’t be silly, he’s all over the papers these days.” 

“I heard it from my mate Ashley on the third floor. Saw him with her own eyes when he did that bombing case in Manchester.” 

The nurses jumped when John cleared his throat loudly. Almost identical expressions of shock and guilt sharpened when they got a good look at him. He decided it must have nothing to do with him. 

“We’re here to see Diana Morrison.” 

The older nurse’s eyes widened. “I knew it! You’re with that Sherlock Holmes, aren’t you?” 

Every instinct told him to lie. But with two possibly psychotic women staring him down, his lips moved before he could decide what to do. “Uh... yes. More or less.” Feeling very suddenly like a small mammal before birds of prey he tried to backpedal. “Not... That is- I meant- We aren’t-”

Sudden warmth at his back made him freeze. An all-too-familiar scoff filled his left ear and the rumble of Sherlock’s voice did not help his sudden hyper-awareness. “They have no idea who she is, John. We should go to the other desk.” 

“Wait! Is it true, then? What they said about you two?”

“What did they say?” 

The other nurse stepped forward. “Everyone’s talking about it. Famous detective, living with his assistant, never goes out on dates-”

John wished he hadn’t asked.

“Really, you’re not hiding it very well. I mean, avoiding the topic only proves there’s something you don’t want to say-”

“Speaking of hiding things, have you told your fiance about your affair?” Sherlock cut in.

A moment of shocked silence followed, and the older nurse’s left hand immediately went to her chest protectively. “You mean me?”

“It’s been long enough, three to four years. He’s going to wonder about the pay raises eventually. You’re only putting off the inevitable. After all, even someone like you who fancies they’re clever can’t hide what’s glaringly obvious, even from those idiots who claim to be private detectives.”

“De- detectives? Did James-?”

“No, but it won’t be long now. I can guarantee it.” 

The other nurse began to recover and jumped to her co-worker's defense. “It’s rubbish, Ginny. He’s all talk, some kind of publicity stunt.” 

The cold air on his neck made him turn. Sherlock was already halfway down the hall. “Tell you what, if her lover isn’t your boyfriend, then I’ll admit I’m a fraud.” he called back.

John didn’t take the time to see the nurses’ reactions. The sound of yelling reached them when they entered the lift. Once the doors shut the silence was tense and uncomfortable. It was a relief when they opened again, revealing an open waiting room and hopefully far more hospitable people. 

With the correct room number, they were finally back on track. John had only just convinced himself to focus on the problem at hand and not think about Sherlock’s odd behavior downstairs when he was pushed into the wall. 

“Oh! I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” 

“Fine.” John grunted. “It’s nothing-”

“Honestly, I’ve been so clumsy today, nearly- Wait. It’s you!” 

They stared at each other for a moment, and sure enough, he knew her. Blonde, brown eyes, and walking around with someone with enough enigma to rival Sherlock’s pride. John smiled pleasantly, an automatic reaction. “Right. What are the odds?” He took a second look. “Must be my lucky day.” He added.

She paused as well, looking him up and down, smiling brilliantly, and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Right, it must be," she said, cheekily.

“Oh for God’s sake-” Sherlock cut in.

“And who is this?” She asked, gesturing to Sherlock, who did not seem to appreciate the situation at all.

“Oh, don’t mind him. You know- this might seem forward, but-”

Her companion from earlier was suddenly at her side, hand on her arm. “Put your eyes back in your head, soldier.” 

John’s eyes finally left the woman to stare at the man in complete shock. “What? Sorry, how did you-”

“Don’t mind him.” She cut in.

“Well, your stature clearly reads military, for one-” 

“Stop showing off. That was a joke, all right? You don’t have to actually-”

He ignored her. “That’s not to mention the way you walk, the haircut, the way you clearly ogled Rose-”

John turned back to her. “Rose. So, that’s your name. I was wondering how long it would take me to find out.” 

“Well, that’s not fair. I still don’t know yours.” 

“Look, his name is-”

He held his hand out to Rose, ignoring her companion. “John. John Watson, at your service, Rose...?” 

“Tyler.” She supplied, shaking his hand. Her grip was firm. 

“Pleased to meet you, Rose Tyler.” 

“Same to you, Mister... John Watson?” She blinked,as if realising something.

John really hoped she didn’t read the papers. “Doctor, actually.” 

Her grin turned decidedly mischievous as she glanced not-so-subtly at her companion. “Uh-huh... The Doctor said you were in the army?” 

He nodded, his back straightening of it’s own accord. “Yes, 5th Northumberland Fusiliers.” 

The as-yet unnamed stranger crossed his arms. “Afganistan, was it?” he asked moodily.

“Yes. Yes, in fact. How did you- You know what? I’m not asking.” 

“That’s probably for the best,” Rose laughed. “He thrives off attention. So, what rank were you?”

Sherlock sighed, and it was more than easy for John to ignore him, as well. “I was a Captain. Still technically am, seven year reserve and all that.” 

Her friend was most definitely not happy with the playful tone she used next. “You must have some stories to tell... and I bet you’ve got the scars to prove it.” 

John jumped at the opening. “I suppose you’d want to see them?”

To his relief, she laughed. “I’m not that easy. But, I might make an exception for an officer.” 

His mouth opened to reply, but Sherlock cut him off, his tone cold. “John, if you would kindly remove your mind from your genital area, I need your assistance for a moment.”

Rose glanced at them, then at her companion. “Oh.” She said, her face falling a bit, “Are you two... together?”

John nearly panicked. “No!” Remembering where they were, he lowered his voice. “No. I mean, no. We live together, but we’re not... together.” 

“Oh. That’s great, then.” 

The man beside Rose scoffed. “Not for long.” 

The comment earned him a sharp jab in the ribs. “Shut it, you.” Rose hissed. 

“All right, that’s enough. There’s no time for this.” Surely there could only be one Sherlock personality type in the world. Who would curse them with two? “I’m the Doctor. This is Rose Tyler. We’re all introduced, now. Are you here to see Diana as well? Lovely girl, really. Doesn’t like cats though, best not to bring them up in conversation.” 

“You’ll have to wait until later to visit.” Sherlock replied. “I’m here on behalf of Detective Inspector Lestrade-”

“Oh, what a coincidence! Me too!” Before anyone could demand it, he handed his papers out for Sherlock to inspect. He held them for a few scant seconds before returning them to the strange man. 

“All the aliases in the world and you chose ‘John Smith’?” 

The Doctor blinked. “Excuse me?”

Sherlock dropped his pretense of boredom and scanned the newcomer carefully. “Lestrade wouldn’t assign anyone else to this case. Besides, you’re no detective. Not even a police officer. So, why are you here, really?” 

Rose stepped in, looking a bit uneasy. “Oh, we were just leaving-”

“Press! Yes, that’s it. And this is Rose Tyler, my assistant. Just wanted to talk to the ‘Miracle Girl’, that’s all.” The man interrupted. 

There was that smirk again, saying loud and clear how much of a waste it is to try and fool Sherlock Holmes. “Clearly not.” 

The man barely got three words out. “How would you-”

“No self-respecting reporter would dare sneak into a hospital to interview an eight year old girl after the Leveson inquiry. Tell me, how did you find out about her whereabouts? Did you bug her mother’s telephone? Bribe one of the nurses? I know reporters have a lapse attitude when it comes to the law.” A small sound escaped John, and it was will alone that kept the words from leaving his throat. Still, Sherlock glared, as if he knew what he’d say anyway. “Besides the glaringly obvious, anyone with half a brain could tell just by looking at you lot.” Sherlock took a step forward, his full attention on the strange pair. The girl looked nervously from her companion to the detective. “So, I’ll ask you again. Why are you here?” 

“That is a very good question,” The group turned as one to see a squat woman glaring them down, fingers resting lightly on her glasses. Quickly (and likely accurately) identifying Sherlock as the troublemaker, she crossed her arms. “Well?”

Ignoring the pair, Sherlock handed the woman his pass. “I’m here on behalf of Detective Inspector Lestrade.” 

She raised an eyebrow, but gave the article back to him. “And what does he want with a sick girl?” 

“She’s not sick anymore, from what I’ve heard,” he replied smoothly. 

“Diana doesn’t need any questioning. She needs rest.” 

A quick glance at her nametag had John stepping forward. “It’s fine, Doctor Davies. We’ll be quick. And as considerate as possible.” He added with a significant look at Sherlock.

Davies looked past them. The man was already holding out the same papers as before. She squinted at them, then huffed indignantly. “Not sure why he needs half the circus. You have ten minutes. I suggest you get a move on.” 

John followed Sherlock into the small room, where Diana sat in her bed, coloring very carefully inside the lines of a coloring book. Before anyone could speak, Rose had stepped forward. She tilted her head to get a good look at the page.

“Oh, I loved this show!” she gushed. “Just look at you. Where’d you learn to colour that well? I still can’t do that.” 

Diana paused, her hand still poised over the paper. She seemed to be deciding if this person was okay to talk to. She glanced nervously at the rest of the group. “Um, I don’t know. Lots of time, I guess.” She mumbled.

“Why have you coloured Blossom’s dress yellow?” Rose asked.

“Because gingers shouldn’t wear pink. That’s what Mum says.” 

“Maybe some gingers-”

“Who’s your favourite?” Rose interrupted the Doctor loudly. “I always liked Bubbles.”

The little girl seemed to relax a bit. She pointed at the uncoloured character. “Buttercup.” 

Sherlock sighed heavily. “While this is absolutely fascinating, I think-”

He was cut off as well. “Why’s that?” 

“Because she doesn’t need special powers, but she’s still a hero.”

“Like you?” 

“Yeah.” Diana grinned. 

The Doctor stepped forward. “I bet you do have special powers. You got better, didn’t you?” Diana nodded, suddenly shy. “How’d that happen?” 

Rose was looking at him like he was some kind of alien. Either he didn’t notice, or he didn’t care. Diana glanced back at the woman, who nodded encouragingly. “It was nighttime. I was scared, so I was awake. Then something jumped on the bed. I screamed, and it bit me. When I woke up, I felt better.” 

“What jumped on the bed?” Sherlock demanded. He received annoyed looks from everyone in the room. Diana’s mouth clamped shut. “What did you see?” he pressed. 

John shook his head. “Just... let them talk, will you?” he hissed. 

If John had suggested he date Donovan, he probably wouldn’t have gotten a more affronted look. “Are you-” 

“Will you shut it?” Rose snapped. 

“There’s less than five minutes left. We don’t have time to waste on-”

The glare she gave Sherlock was a very clear warning. “On what? Being nice?” 

“Exactly. We all came here for answers and you’re gossiping like schoolgirls. I need the facts.”

“And does that include scaring her half to death?” 

“Um, excuse me? Right. Argument, not helping.” John interrupted, glancing between them.

Without comment, the Doctor turned back to Diana. “You were saying?” 

His companion rolled her eyes. “It’s okay. We want to help you, that’s all.”

Diana went from scared to angry in a second. She crossed her arms stubbornly. “No you don’t. That’s what the doctors said too, but they didn’t help me. The bunny did.” 

They shared a shocked silence. “A... bunny?” John said slowly. “A bunny saved you?” 

“Yeah. It jumped on the bed. I was scared, so I tried to get up. It bit me. Then the nurse came, and it ran away.” 

Rose’s friend seemed totally unsurprised by this answer. He was the only one. “What did it look like?”

“You can’t be serious,” Sherlock glanced at his watch. “Let’s go, John. Complete waste of time.” 

“What? But she said-” 

“She said that a bunny attacked her and cured her cancer. I think we’re done here.” 

John caught up to him at the door. “Look, you’re the one that was absolutely convinced that this was related to the murder-”

“Even if it was, she’s obviously completely useless as a witness.” 

“It’s true!” Diana objected. “I saw it! It was all white, and had big, long feet. It was trying to get under the covers.” 

That caught the attention of both the detective and the mysterious pair. Sherlock opened his mouth to speak, and the man reached into his coat pocket. A loud voice made Rose jump. 

“That’s it. Time to go.” 

“What? Already?” The Doctor complained.

“Yep. Ten minutes, on the nose.” 

“Eight and forty-two seconds,” he grumbled, but he got to his feet.

 

 

A few minutes later, they all stood outside the hospital. Sherlock seemed more than ready to leave, but Rose pulled John aside. “Here’s my number,” she handed him a small piece of folded paper. “Anything you find out, call me, yeah?”

“For crying out-”

“And if I don’t find anything out?” 

“Call anyway.” She suggested. 

“Bloody soldiers,” the man pulled her away. She waved, and he could just hear him say, “Got a thing for Captains, do you?” 

She froze, and from the look on the man’s face, her expression was as cold as her voice. “Doctors, too.” 

There was something behind that, but before he could puzzle it out, the sound of a car door slamming broke his concentration. He looked just in time to see the cab pull away. His phone went off, and the text message read, When you’re ready to work, I’ll be at the flat. SH

John stood at the side of the road looking after him, wondering why he felt a bit guilty. He dared to glance one last time at Rose. It was the precise moment that she happened to look back, and she winked at him. Maybe it was worth the cab fare.


End file.
